SEA BUCKTHORN

Botanical sketches of the Sea Buckthorn berry from the 1800’s

For the past few years I’ve been really into essential oils and natural healing solutions. Recently, I discovered an oil that I think is so amazing, I just had to share my experience here.

A couple of months ago my daughter split her lip in the playground. It was nothing that needed medical attention, but it was a big swollen open wound.

My friend Gaële recommended that I try putting some pure Sea Buckthorn oil on it. I had never heard of it before, but since Gaële so adamant about it, I decided to give it a try.

I washed off the lip and then applied Sea Buckthorn oil directly to the open wound. It didn’t sting my daughter at all and I reapplied it twice a day for the next couple of days. Low and behold, within 24 hours the swelling was gone. In 48 the cut looked almost non-existent. I was amazed. I was intrigued. So I started doing some research.

The Sea Buckthorn plant’s oldest known origins are from Tibet and the plant has been used in Chinese and Indian medicine for over a thousand years. The Sea Buckthorn berry has the highest concentration of vitamin C in any known plant growing in Europe and is a powerhouse of nutrients with beneficial qualities for the body:

Sea buckthorn is considered a miracle fruit because it yields the highest natural concentrations of omega 7s available and is rich in omega 3s and 6s, essential fatty acids that the body cannot produce on its own. Omega 3s and 6s, which improve circulation and decrease inflammation, protect against sun damage, improve eczema and psoriasis, encourage collagen and elastin production and new cell growth, must be obtained through a diet rich in seeds, nuts, green leafy vegetables, salmon, raw cold-pressed vegetable oils—or supplements. Unlike omegas 3 and 6, omega 7 (palmitoleic acid), the new omega on the block, is not an essential fatty acid and therefore our bodies do synthesize it, says Sibu Beauty president Peter McMullin. “However, because of our modern-day diets we don’t get enough of the components to make omega 7 naturally,” he says. “Additionally, with aging, the production of omega 7 begins to decrease and the need for it in our bodies increases.” – Organic spa magazine

I now use the oil on everything: Cuts, bruises, burns and scrapes. But my favorite use is…as a night cream! Since I started putting Sea Buckthorn oil everywhere, I decided to try it on my face as well. (WARNING: It is messy. You do not want to use this in the morning or if you have any place to go because the rich orange color of the oil will make you look like a Oompa Loompa. It will also stain your sheets, so on the nights I use it I place a towel over my pillow.) After doing an OCM (oil cleansing method) to my face, I apply the Sea Buckthorn around my eyes and along the lines of my mouth and forehead. Result: I can physically see my crow’s-feet and laugh lines diminishing. Big added bonus, since Sea Buckthorn is also a powerful anti-inflammatory, my puffy under eyes started looking much better too.

I also keep a bottle of Sea Buckthorn juice on hand. It doesn’t have the healing powers of the oil, but it can be added to a wide variety of drinks for a powerhouse dose of vitamin C. If you have a bladder infection, instead of drinking cranberry juice, I would drink this.

Due to its robust nature and extensive root system, Sea buckthorn plants have also been used to protect shorelines from soil erosion. Sea buckthorn can survive and even thrive in degraded soils and help fix nitrogen and other essential nutrients to the soil. In Normandy where 60% of all beaches are declining into the sea with some beaches losing 5 metres of land on average per year (source), maybe Sea buckthorn could help. Unfortunately, after further research I also read that Sea Buckthorn is often too robust and invasive of other natural habitats.

Could this plant be used here?

However, if I was a farmer in Normandy looking for a cool cash crop to plant on a sandy plot near the sea, I would definitely look into Sea Buckthorn. While the plant is apparently hard to harvest, it needs little irrigation and can survive in harsh conditions and climates. Plus after seeing the benefits first hand of this miracle oil, I am convinced that it will be the next big fad in cosmetics and health food, much like green tea or goji berries were before. The difference, however, is that I believe Sea Buckthorn has an even greater potential for use. Medicinally it can be taken as a supplement as a juice or in gel cap form and the oil can be applied topically everywhere. For beauty products it can be used in skin creams, body oils, deodorants, sun block, lip conditioners, soaps and shampoos. As a food product it can be added to juices and smoothies, used in jams, sauces, candies, honey and teas.

I think you’ll be hearing a lot about Sea Buckthorn as the new super food and miracle natural healer. But the hype is real, Sea Buckthorn is 100% worth having on hand.

4 Comments

I have just made a round in some of sea buckthorns blog and really got surprised myself. It is one of the best echo-balancing and natural plants that can be use both as fruits and medicine.

Thanks a lot Rose for such a trusted suggestion. I have also found a post that explained sea buckthorn oil has been reported for skin therapy and it contains about more than 190 nutrients element. I’m really feeling interest to use this sea berry oil.